Crazy Cubs fans of Cantrall congregate for Wrigley opener

Friday

Apr 4, 2014 at 9:15 PMApr 4, 2014 at 10:19 PM

By Dave BakkeStaff Writer

Something big could pick up the Crazy Dog Saloon from Cantrall, move it 200 miles north, plop it down in Chicago on Waveland Avenue, and the place would feel right at home in Wrigleyville. The Crazy Dog is an oasis of Chicago Cubdom in what has become, IMHO, decidedly St. Louis Cardinal country. Winning is a magnet.

There has been a great volume of material written about Cubs fans and Red Sox fans, both legendary, both dedicated and both long-suffering. But in recent years, Boston fans have admired the view from atop the baseball world. The Cubs? Well, they will always have Cantrall.

Friday was opening day at Wrigley Field, and that is a special day at the Crazy Dog. Throwing a party for the Cubbies’ home opener is a tradition at the saloon (and the reason for this rare Saturday column). The home-opener party has been on for seven years, but the Crazy Dog Cubs tradition has a 60-year history.

It began in the 1950s with owner Ed Wood. Here’s the kind of Cub fan he was, from his niece Judi Coady.

“He had the bar from 1952 to 1983,” she says. “There was only one little TV in there. When the Cubs game was on, he wouldn’t let anybody play the jukebox. No music while the Cubs were playing.

“One time some guys put music on the jukebox during the game. He unplugged it. They plugged it back in. So he got out a pair of scissors, cut the cord and said, ‘’Now let’s see you play that music.’ That’s the kind of guy he was.”

And he went on to the hereafter, as many generations of Cub fans have, without seeing his beloved team bring home a world title.

He was succeeded as owner of the Crazy Dog by Bill Tobias. In 1984, it appeared assured that the Cubs would get to the World Series. They beat San Diego in the first two games of the National League Championship Series.

“Bill bought Champagne,” says Judi.

And then? Well, let’s not dwell on the past. Suffice it to say the bubbly went into storage to await The Big Day, which seemed closer than ever. The next season, the Cubs went 77-84, 23 1/2 games out of first. Bill decided it might be a while after all, and who wanted to wait that long?

“He saved it,” says Judi, “until the Cardinals lost the World Series (1985) and drank it then.”

Ouch.

Like Ed, Bill never lived to see the Cubs win it all. He is gone, but his Cubs jacket still hangs in the bar.

“People have tried to steal it,” says Denise Richardson, who runs the Crazy Dog for current owner George Conlee. “I’m going to have to put it in a box and screw it to the wall.”

Denise is the one who made opening day at Wrigley a Crazy Dog tradition in 2007.

“They always had a group that came in for the home opener,” Denise says. “They asked me to open early because we usually don’t open until 3 and the game is usually 1 o’clock. So I started turning it into a more elaborate party.

“People bring food. We ask trivia questions and give away Cub prizes. Once we did a ‘Reverse the Curse’ party and everybody wore their shirts backwards. One girl always promises she’ll do a shot of tequila when the Cubs get the bases loaded. That’s because she doesn’t figure she’ll ever have to.

“We had an anti-goat party one year (a famous Cubs curse). Everybody had to wear a pin with a picture of a goat on it and a circle through it. Then we tried having a party for the last home game to reverse the curse. Guess we haven’t been too successful.”

And, yes, Denise is a Cubs fan. “If you had been a Cardinal fan,” I asked, “would you have been allowed to run the bar?”

“I don’t know,” she answered. “That’s a good question.”

P.K. Wrigley’s Broken Hearts Club Band arrived on schedule at the Crazy Dog Friday afternoon to watch the Cubs open at home against the Phillies and their manager (oh, dear) Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg. Judi Coady came dressed as Clark, the new Cubs mascot of uncertain popularity.

The Crazy Dog opened three hours early. It has five TVs and the Cubs were on three.

Thirty-five people in attendance and one (1) dressed in a Cardinals shirt. Bree Schmulbach is nothing if not brave. Her twin sister, Brae Davenport, was in a Cubs shirt. So much for twins dressing alike.

People had their photos taken behind a big picture frame, complete with a sprig of ivy, that commemorated the 2014 Cubs home opener. There was a sign honoring Wrigley Field’s 100th anniversary. People applauded just because the Phillies were retired in the first without scoring.

“Is there any chance at all,” I asked Judi, “that the Cubs will be any good this year?”

“Well, they say not,” she answered. But in classic Cubs fan fashion she went on, “But they’re a young team. We’re thinking next year, next year.”

I could swear I’ve heard that somewhere before.

Know of something quirky? Emotional? Funny? Inspiring? Dave Bakke is your man and his deadline is always near. Pitch your idea to him at dave.bakke@sj-r.com or at 788-1541. His column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. To read more, visit www.sj-r.com/bakke.